Parents and students in the north end of Halifax who have been waiting five years for a new elementary school to be built are still waiting.
St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary was initially set to open in 2023. The project was delayed until September of this year, but it’s still not finished.
“The lack of communication has been very frustrating,” said parent Paul Lenarczyk.
He and other families are calling for more transparency. He says they’ve been living in limbo since 2021, when they were first told their old school would be demolished and a replacement would be built.
“The community in general hasn’t had very much information at all from either the province or the (Halifax Regional Centre for Education). They all seem to be passing the buck,” he said.
Since the former school’s demolition, students have been studying at the former Beaufort School building in the south end. They were initially only supposed to be there for two years.
“Now, it’s year five. And the school is rundown. It’s infested. There’s mice problems all the time. There’s mould on the walls. The kids don’t feel very good,” said Lenarczyk.
“Plus, they don’t fit in the school almost. It’s very tight. There’s no gym, for example, in the school at all.”
Parents have been told the new opening date will happen mid-way through this school year, but Lenarczyk wants an official date.
“Maybe let’s have an open house or town hall meeting and say, ‘We’re trying our best. We want to have a great school for you, but let’s build some sort of connection.’ No, instead, they just said, ‘No, we’re not telling you anything.'”
The province’s Opposition used the last minute of Wednesday’s question period at the legislature to amplify the community’s call.
“When will the minister finally give parents a straight answer on when the SJAM will open?” asked Halifax Needham NDP MLA Suzy Hansen.
In response, Education Minister Brendan Maguire said work on the school is “progressing.”
“This is a massive investment in the north end of Halifax. We are proud to support it, and I can’t wait for the school to be open,” he said.
“We know that any time there’s delays, Madame Speaker, it impacts.”